MOUNTAINOUS NEPAL

On return from Nagarkot, after breakfast we set out to Bhaktapur, which is a renowned place for Hindu temples and traditional crafts. At Dattatreya Square, we saw the Trimurthy temple of Brahma, Vishnu and Mahesh. Thereafter we saw Nethapole Temple, Mahalaxmi Temple, a 3 storied structure of craftsmanship. Next to it is the Bhairav (Kali) Temple.

From there we visited GhatkaGalli, Bhaktapur-3 where the Kala Chakra Mandala hand crafted paintings were on display. According to our Guide Anup Babu Karki, these paintings could be seen inside the Potala Palace in Tibet prepared by the 14th Dalai Lama. The significance of this chakra mandala art is that if you concentrate on the innermost square in the center of the painting for a few minutes, it appears to pop out and then go back. This is a method of meditation in the olden days.

Opposite to that shop there was Himalayan Singing Bowl and Healing Center. The shop owner gave a demo of the healing by making you stand straight inside a brass bowl and he would hit that bowl and another bowl in hand by making sound which would vibrate around your body and head. The exercise for a few minutes makes you feel relaxed and calm.

Next we visited the Main Square i.e, Durbar Square. This is a collection of stone art, metal art, wood carvings, terracotta art and architectural show pieces. It has a 55 window Palace. Next to it is the Temple of Siddhilaxmi and opposite to the Palace is the Vatsala Temple , Big Bell, Pashupatinath Temple. It is a square full of conglomeration of temples full of stone sculpture.

From Durbar Square, we visited the Boudhnath Stupa, a 5th century structure. This is an edifice depicting the various personalities who had built the stupa. It was built as a repentence by Mandeva, the son of king Vishwadeva that his sin would be washed away by building a boudha temple at the spot. The Stupa has triangular spots on each side of the structure filled with flowers inside the small cups. A large number of tourists visit this spot. It is also one of the UNESCO World Heritage sites.

Next we visited the Kasthamandap Temple. Our guide told us that the name Kathmandu is derived from the name of this temple. This is a three storied wooden structure built by King Laxmi Narsinga Malla in the seventh century.

Next we saw Taleju Temple dedicated to Taleju Bhawani in the market area. Only Hindus are allowed to enter this temple and photography is not allowed. This was known to be built in 1542 AD. It is mostly open during Durgasthami.

18.3.2025 :

On this day we visited Lalitpur area also known as Patan area. The Patan Durbar Square houses a number of structures and it is also listed as one of the UNESCO World Heritage site. This center is well known for festivals and feasts, ancient art, wooden and metallic structures.

Next we visited the Pashupatinath Temple located on the banks of river Bagmati. This is one of the holiest Hindu temples dedicated to Lord Shiva. This is a prominent cremation site as a number of funeral pyres lit could be seen on the river side and people carrying out the last rites.

In the afternoon we visited Swayambhu Temple which is also another UNESCO World Heritage Site. This is a stupa which is 2500 years old and offers a birds eye view of the city. From the main entrance there are 365 steps to reach the temple and from the western side the number of steps are much less. The 7th Century made Dipankar Buddha statue made out of a single stone can be seen here.

We visited the Golden Temple at Lalitpur located to the north of Durbar Square. We were fortunate to see 21 monks as trainees entering the temple and people placing offering in the pots in their hands. These monks will be on training for 21 days to find out whether they will be eligible to become monks. The temple has narrow stone or wooden doors. The main courtyard of the temple has gold plated structure. A number of devotees were seen praying at the Prayer Hall. They pray for the welfare of the people visiting the temple and also for any special intentions.

The Patan Museum at Main Square is a place of collection of different types of statues and their history from the thirteenth century. This is also a UNESCO World Heritage site. The Patan Museum displays the traditional sacred arts of Nepal in an illustrious architectural setting.

Next is the Krishna Mandir situated in the Durbar square of Patan. This temple was built in the 16th Century. This is considered as a masterpiece of Shikar style temple in Nepal. It has 21 golden pinnacles and it is 3 storied structure.

The Jagannath Temple of Lalitpur, Nepal is believed to be a copy of the original Jagannath Temple of Puri. It depicts the pictures of Krishna, Subhadra, and Balabhadra.

In the evening, we set out to see the sunset at Chandragiri Hills. It is one of the popular Hill Station near Kathmandu. It offers a beautiful view of the Himalayas and Kathmandu Valley. The access to the hill is through cable car. It is also accessible by car and hiking. It is located at about 16 kms from Kathmandu. On top of the hill is the Chandragiri Hill Resort, a luxury resort. It takes about 11 minutes by cable car to reach to top of the hill. The view is extraordinary. We could see the sunset from the viewing gallery on top of the hill. It was a great experience.

19.3.2025

On 19.3.2025, we moved out from Soultee at Kathmandu to Soultee at Chitwan. It was a 6 hours drive by road as the road is under repairs and widening. We reached Chitwan at 5.30pm. Thereafter we relaxed for some time and took a dip in the swimming pool.

20.3.2025

Jungle Safari at Chitwan

We booked a Jungle safari in the Chitwan National Park, a UNESCO World Heritage site. Spanning 934 square kilometers, the area is 12% covered by grass and 8% covered by river and lake. This is a site for diverse flora and fauna. We hired a open jeep for the tour. Inside the forest area, we could spot peacocks, pea-hens, deers, one-horned rhinoceros and a few birds. Although we saw the paw of the tiger on the road side, we were not fortunate to spot a tiger. The jungle is known to be housing 128 tigers. We could also spot a black bear walking leisurely on the road side. It was a 3 hours safari. We returned to Chitwan Soultee Resort for lunch and took rest for the rest of the day.

21.3.2025

We did not plan any specific travel this day. After a leisure breakfast, we decided to visit local areas of Chitwan. First we visited the Umbrella Street at Bharatpur. This is a street with colourful umbrellas hung at the top. It is a photographic spot.

Next we visited the Beeshazari Lake also known as Twenty Thousand Lake. This lake is situated inside the Chitwan National park. It comprises of several big and small lakes. It is a bird watching area where migratory birds are found in the winter season.

It is reported that sometimes the tigers come to the lake to drink water. But we could not spot any tiger or any other animal. But on the way to Beeshazari Lake, we could find two tigers caged as they are reported to be man eaters. They are kept in iron cages and separate path is earmarked for visitors to enter the area. One is a white tiger with black stripes and the other is yellow brown one. When we visited both of them were found sleeping. You can see the tigers from the viewing towers only.

There is a crocodile rearing farm inside the area. Large number of crocodiles and allegators were found in the ponds created for their rearing.

Next we visited a Stone Park area. As the name suggests, it is a park made with stone gateway and is next to the river.

In the evening there was an entertainment programme arranged by the Soultee Resort for the guests viz., Taru Dance. A group of local girls and ladies dressed in local traditional attire conducted five different dances and in the last dance the guests were also invited to join the dance with the ladies.

FOOD:

Food was a little expensive at the resorts.

There are options at Kathmandu for eating out. Nepal’s food consists mainly of rice and lentils and snacks like momos (dumplings) and sweet Sel Roti. Newari cuisine is also very popular in Kathmandu. It is worth a try. They also provide Tupka a noodle soup which is quite tasty. We tried the local cuisine at Newal Lahana Restaurant at New Road, Kathmandu and dinner at Jimbu Takali Restaurant at Baudnath, Kathmandu.

On 22nd March, 2025 we moved out of Chitwan, boarded a early morning Buddha Air flight from Chitwan to Kathmandu and Indigo flight from Kathmandu to Mumbai reaching Mumbai in the evening.

It was a memorable family tour consisting of 7 persons.